Alaska freight just keeps on going and going: freight moving in and out of Alaska moves over mountains, across stormy seas and through glacier-gilded valleys.

• Author: Williams, Colleen Flood

Yes, it is a bit like the trademark Energizer Bunny of commercial fame. Alaska freight keeps on going and going and going. It moves via land, sea and air. Most importantly, in most cases, no matter where it originates, it keeps on moving until it reaches its destination on time and in good shape.

The majority of all cargo from the continental United States moves into Alaska via water carriage, either barge or steamship. Alaska is serviced by a wide variety of marine transportation providers. These providers all serve a wide variety of niches dedicated to the specialized needs of Alaskans.

In the Railbelt area of Alaska, most waterborne cargo moves through the port of Anchorage. All cargo entering Alaska from another U.S. port is regulated under the Jones Act. Part of that legislative act states that cargo moving between two U.S. ports must be on a Jones Act qualified carrier. The act limits the number of carriers that participate in the market as their ships must be made in a U.S. shipyard, must be U.S. owned and crews must be U.S. citizens.

THE COMPANIES

Tim Schaffer, general manager of Coastal Transportation, explains how his company serves the freight needs of Western Alaskans: "Northbound cargoes consist of general cargo, groceries, furniture, hay for horses, auto parts, building supplies, etc., as well as bait, packing materials and miscellaneous supplies for the fishing industry. Southbound cargo consists almost entirely of frozen seafood. Coastal Transportation, with a fleet of refrigerated break-bulk cargo vessels, provides weekly service from Seattle to the communities on the Alaskan Peninsula. Now celebrating our 20th anniversary, Coastal Transportation strives to be the premier refrigerated cargo service in Western Alaska, providing safe, reliable, and effective service to our customers."

Crowley Marine Services Inc. is located in Anchorage. "Crowley Marine Services Inc. has provided more than 50 years of service to the people and businesses of Alaska by delivering vital petroleum products to remote areas for use in villages, mining operations, government facilities, power utilities, aviation, fish processing plants and retail services," said Jim Dwight, director of sales. "We sell and deliver heating oil (stove oil), diesel fuels, jet fuel, gasoline, aviation fuel (avgas), propane, packaged petroleum products, lubricants and oil-spill cleanup products. We also transport general cargo on our combination fuel and freight barges. Some of these projects originate in Alaska and some are shipped from the mainland U.S."

Western Pioneer Inc. operates four freight vessels...